What happened
During the flight, the crew navigated through marginal weather conditions, necessitating several altitude adjustments between 400 and 800 meters. As the aircraft approached Labinsk, the flight crew received reports regarding thunderstorm activity along the intended route; however, the decision was made to proceed with the mission.
At 15:03 local time, the aircraft type entered a region of active thunderstorms. During this encounter, the plane experienced a significant loss of airspeed and altitude. The flight subsequently became uncontrollable, resulting in a crash into a cornfield situated in Krasnyy, approximately 35 km southeast of Labinsk. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. Of the occupants on board, five fatalities were recorded, while four passengers sustained serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary factor was the crew's choice to maintain the flight path into thunderstorm activity and adverse weather rather than returning to their origin. The turbulence and intense weather conditions within the storm caused the loss of speed and altitude that led to the loss of control. Additionally, it was noted that inaccurate weather briefing information provided to the crew acted as a contributing factor to the incident.